Time Unyielding
by crabappletree
Summary: A mishap with a time turner traps Lily Luna Potter in the past. Unable to return home, she must lead the past to a better future.
1. From Albus to Albus

**A/N-** Please review!

**Disclaimer-** I only wish I owned HP. I definitely don't.

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**From Albus to Albus**

Lily Potter sighed into the mirror. She had inherited her father's untameable, untidy hair, which on a female was wondrous to behold. Try as she might, Lily had never mastered the careful coifing of her female cousins. Even Rose's bushy hair had begun to look smooth over and become at least manageable. Her vibrant hair of Weasley red fell in mismatched curls and waves down her back. It never settled and seemed in constant motion: utterly wild and unruly. Her brothers always referred to her hair as her "mane,", a name that persisted throughout her time at Hogwarts. Several of her classmates even said that her hair could be the unofficial mascot of Gryffindor.

Like her mother, Ginny Potter, Lily was quite short and had brothers that towered over her. Though she largely escaped the 'curse of the freckles'( as her brother James dubbed it), some were dusted over her nose and high cheekbones. Lily turned on the tap and splashed her face with cool water.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of a muffled voice on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Lily, you've got to hurry. It starts in five bloody minutes!"

Lily groaned, "I'll be out in a minute, Hu!" she yelled. The door swung open and her cousin, Hugo, marched in, his auror robes swirling around him.

"What the hell are you doing in there anyways?" he asked, taking in the scene with a smile. "Trying to drown yourself by the looks of it."

"Oh ha ha. Bursting in here. I could have been changing or something." she said continuing to attempt the flattening of her hair.

"Sure, sure." he watched her struggle with her hair, an amused expression on his face "I don't know why you are even trying."

"Shut it." she said, glaring at his through the mirror. His hair was precisely the same vibrant red as hers, but where hers was incredibly messy, his was simply puffy.

"Alright, this as good as it gets. Let's go then." she said with a huff.

"You look beautiful, Lily, as always."

"Thanks, cousin. You have to say that. But I must say you are looking exceedingly handsome as well."

"Thanks, Lily."

After three years of brutally hard training, Lily and Hugo were finally graduating from Auror training. Lily and Hugo were not alone in pursuing this career. Four other cousins had also chosen this course and were fully qualified aurors. She supposed being raised by war heroes tended to sway you into following similar paths.

She stood between Hugo and the other graduate, a Hufflepuff named Timothy McMillian. The ceremony was pointless, but still rather short. The audience was relatively small, and with the thirty plus members of the Wealsey clan gathered it was distinctly red-haired.

Her father, as Head of the Department of Aurors, handed her the certificate and shook her hand proudly. Lily could tell he was attempting to keep his face and actions professional. She could see the pride in his eyes though. Her father moved on, smiling and shaking Hugo's hand.

James was the first one over to her. He pulled her into a hug and swung her around wildly. She pulled back to look at him with his messy red hair and twinkling hazel eyes. James had a wide lopsided grin on his face as he said:

"Merlin, you're old Elle. I can't believe you're an auror, now." He pulled her in for another hug, smashing her face into his chest.

"Neither can I." she said. Her voice was muffled by James's robes.

James let her go. Her father, who was standing a few feet away, walked forward..

"I'm so proud of you sweetheart." said Harry Potter, his emerald eyes a little too watery as he looked at his youngest and only daughter. His hands grasped her shoulders as he pulled her into a fatherly hug.

"Thanks Daddy." she whispered as she clung to him happily. She had always adored her father, not because he was the saviour of the Wizarding World, but because he was the best person she had ever met.

After letting go of her father, she went on to receive hugs and kisses from the rest of her family. Hugo, too, was receiving the affection and congratulations of the enormous family. He rolled his eyes at her over the shoulder of their doting grandmother and Lily gave a laugh.

For the next ten minutes, Lily embraced every member of her enormous family, some of them several times.

"Well!" said Uncle Ron, clapping his son of the back, "I'm bloody starving. Shall we head over to the Burrow for some delicious food?"

The Weasley-Potter clan laughed and began to head towards the floos. Anywhere Harry Potter went people were sure to stare with unabashed curiosity,. As always, her father ignored their stares. Of course, the Weasley family itself was an extreme curiosity in itself. Every magical person knew of their contribution and sacrifice to the war effort. Lily had been raised with the stares, the sometimes rude questioning.

The family reached the floos, still raucously loud and one by one began to step into the floo and disappear to the Burrow. Lily was chatting merrily with Teddy, her brothers and some of her cousins about the upcoming World Cup.

"Damn. I left my overcoat in my office." said Albus "Anyone want to come with me to get it? Lily?"

"Seriously, Al? Ugh. Fine, I'll go." said Lily in an exasperated voice. The remaining members of the group erupted in good-byes and continued their travel by floo powder.

"Lily, we'll see you soon. I love you, sweetheart." said Ginny Potter, patting her daughter on the cheek and linking arms with her husband and disappearing into the flames.

"Alright, see you all soon."

Lily and Albus turned back toward the direction they had come, heading toward the lifts across from the Atrium. As they walked through the Atrium, Lily began to have a strange feeling. She glanced sideways at her brother. Albus had a strange smug look on her face and pieces began to fall together…suddenly, she had a gut feeling that this 'forgotten coat' was a diversionary tactic, likely giving her family time to set up a surprise party celebrating her induction.

"You bastard." she saidm under her breath.

"Sorry?" said Albus.

"You tricked me." Lily accused, pointing a finger at her dark-haired brother. His lip twitched as he tried to keep a straight face.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Lily could see the smirk beneath the forced expression of utmost innocence.

"Oh you don't? Where's Hugo? I wonder what mission Rose led him on to distract him. Well, I'd like to inform you that I now despise you."

Albus laughed and threw his arm over her shoulders. As they walked through the crowds, Lily could see people continuing to look at them curiously. The children of the famous Harry Potter were known by most of the magic community by sight, not to mention Albus was nearly identical to their father and attracted a lot of attention.

As they neared the lifts, the two siblings turned their conversation once more to the upcoming World Cup. Lily was certain that the underdog Irish would come on top, while Albus was supporting the Egyptians for the Cup. Lily and Albus entered the lift alone still content with their mindless chatter. Albus hit the button for level nine and they began to descend rapidly.

A cool female voice announced their location and they stepped from the lift into the deserted corridor. The siblings went through the enormous black door that marked the entrance to the Department of Mysteries. Once inside the Department, they continued on through several of the rooms. The Chamber of Thought was first, where Lily knew her Uncle Ron had once been attacked by the tentacled brains swimming in an eerie green liquid. The Chamber of Space was next. Then the Chamber of Death, where Sirius Black had once fallen through the ancient looking archway, covered by a fluttering black curtain.

As she had been the last time she was in the Chamber of Death, Lily felt disoriented. She could hear whispering coming from the veil. She was overcome with the desire to walk toward it, to listen to what those muffled voices were saying. She took a step nearer the dais, but stumbled and was caught by Albus.

"Woah, Elle. If it were remotely possible, I would be convinced you inherited Teddy's clumsiness. Neither of you can move without knocking something over or tripping over your own feet."

"Like you are so graceful!" she complained, glaring at him, trying to shake away those voices as the neared the next door. "And you ! You are supposed to be nice to me today, Al! It's my bloody graduation."

Albus laughed heartily, holding the large black door open for his sister who walked huffily through.

"I can't believe my baby sister is a big, bad auror." he said.

"Well, you better watch out." she said. They were now in the Chamber of Time. Lily knew her brother's office was somewhere in a corridor off of this chamber. No one outside the Department of Mysteries was allowed to enter the offices or even know exactly where they were located. This was a chamber she had never been in. She had only gone as far as the Chamber of Death on her previous visits.

"Wait here, Elle. I'll be back in a minute." said Albus, turning on his heel and walking out across the room, stroking a wall and disappearing.

Lily looked around the room. It was perhaps the most conventionally beautiful of the rooms she had gone through in the department. Around the room were clocks of every size and description and time turners. She had never seen a time turner, though she had been raised hearing of her father's third year adventure. Her aunt Hermione had a special interest in time travel and had sometimes talked enthusiastically about it with Lily.

Curious, she moved toward the hourglass objects. Lily reached out with her right hand, touching the side of a rather large time turner. She leaned close and examined the smaller ones as well. Her curiosity satisfied, Lily turned on her heel, ready to find some more interesting artefacts.

She had barely got her foot off the ground to take a step when there was a resounding snap. Lily spun around and in terror she watched as the shelf with the largest time turner fell from it spot on the wall and with an almighty crash, smashed to the marble ground. Sand poured onto Lily's feet. As she turned to make her escape, she felt herself collapsing and her world went blank.

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Lily's head was pounding as though a massive gong was being beaten inside of it. She was certain that if she opened her eyes too soon, the room would be swirling. She could hear rustling beside her. Someone was sitting beside her. Albus. It had to be Albus. She had to in St. Mungo's. She was probably knocked out by that shelf flying at her. Albus had taken her to St. Mungo's when he saw what happened.

He and James were never going to let this lie. She was so clumsy that she knocked herself out. Oh, God the family stories this would lead to. Well, she had best bite the bullet (to use the muggle expression) and take the slagging that would inevitably be delivered.

But when she at last opened her eyes, she did not see the pure emerald of Albus Potter or her father, nor did she see the chocolate of James or her mother. She was not looking into the eyes of any Weasley or Potter. No, Lily now stared into the startlingly blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. Eyes she had only seen on the painted canvas of the Headmistress' office or through the memories of her father.

She could appreciate, through her haze of shock and disbelief, that neither the memories nor the painting could render the precise, radiant blue that Albus Dumbledore's eyes were.


	2. Elle Evans

**A/N-_Thank you so much to TRLO004 and oiche ghealai for your reviews. _**

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**Chapter 2: Elle Evans**

A numbing panic reverberated through her body and all the air was sucked from her lungs.

She was faintly aware that her mouth was wide open in shock as she gaped at the long-dead wizard.

"No. ..No. ..I-I-Where? How?" Lily sputtered in confusion, sitting bolt upright and staring at the silver-haired man in unabashed shock and terror. She had the distinct feeling that she was being x-rayed as she gazed into his sparkling blue eyes.

"My dear, please breathe. We have all the time in the world." he said with a strange smile, his eyes not leaving her.

At his words, Lily closed her eyes and sank back into the pillows, trying to arrange her thoughts. Trying to silence the mental screaming of obscenities so colourful they would make her Uncle Ron blush. Her last memories were coming back to her, along with a deep abiding horror. The time-turner crashed to the ground in her mind and everything became clear. Horrifyingly clear. But she prayed against hope that a deceased wizard was not truly sitting next to her. She forced herself to open her eyes once again.

Her wish did not come true. Indeed, Albus Dumbledore was still staring at her expectantly. She opened her mouth twice before forcing out the words.

"Sir, there has been an accident. I-I shouldn't be here. Where-what…what year is this?" she spluttered, barely coherent.

A look of utmost comprehension graced the features of the silver-bearded man. He nodded to himself, arranging his face in a calm manner.

"Ah, that would explain a great deal. It is the year 1980, my dear. November the 14h at approximately ten-fifty-five at night to be exact."

Lily felt vomit rise in her throat. was stunned. This had to be a dream. At very, very horrifyingly the worst she would have expected to at least be in the 1990s…her father was born in 1980. Her mother…

"Oh my-Oh no-Oh sweet Merlin no." she said, shaking her head in her hands. The reality of the situation was being made plain by the continued presence of Albus Dumbledore.

"I see this comes as a great shock to you, my dear. A reasonable deduction is then that you should not be here. This time is not your own." the man said in a calm voice. The calmness in his voice did nothing to soothe her nerves.

"No. No, I definitely should not be here." she whispered. The Headmaster nodded and there was a silence, wherein he continued to study Lily.

"I cannot help but notice that you look extraordinarily like a former student of mine. A Miss Lily Evans, now Mrs. Potter. The eyes are different and your hair, I see, but you are undeniably related." Lily nodded, her stomach churning at the mention of her namesake "May I ask how you are related?"

"I-she-Sir, she's my grandmother."

Dumbledore looked distinctly startled. A silence settled in as both tossed the information and its implications around in their minds.

"It seems, my dear, that you are from further away than I imagined, Miss Potter. I had thought she would be your mother as you look so much like her. Except for the eyes, you have James's eyes." said Dumbledore scrutinizing her face. Lily felt her face and ears burn a flaming red as only a Weasley's could.

"Harry Potter is your father?" Dumbledore looked greatly amused at this tid bit of information, "An infant having a twenty-year-old daughter. An interesting paradox. And your mother?"

"Well, I-I don't actually think she is even born yet," Lily paused thinking, "No, no she wasn't born until August of 1981 and if this is November of 1980, she may not even be... She is a Weasley."

"A girl? The Weasleys have not had a daughter-" he seemed delighted by the very prospect.

"For six generations, yes. My mum broke that trend." she said, allowing a little smile upon her face as she though of all the males in her enormous family.

"Lovely, lovely I do believe Molly has been wanting a daughter.. Seventh generation, seventh child. It is a powerful countercharm." he said sounding interested. Silence fell between them once more as they both grappled with the information laid upon them. Dumbledore spoke first.

"Well, my dear, you seem to be in quite the pickle." he said, "Time does not allow forward travel. It is a complex system, but I am afraid that it is impossible for you to return to the future you have left. The world created in your memory is no longer in existence, this is has become a new world from the moment you appeared in it a few hours ago."

"But sir, time is a loop is it not?" Lily said calmly, trying to ignore the prickling sensation building behind her eyes, "Haven't I already been here? Haven't my actions already affected the future and lead to the state that I remember? Enderly's Third Law of Trans-"

"Ah, you are very well-versed in the theories regarding time travel, I see."

"My aunt, she, well…it's a hobby of hers I guess." she said, her face burning.

"Wonderful, perhaps that will make things easier to explain, Lily…But I'm sorry, my dear, Enderly's Law applies only to time travel within the spectrum of one month. Any form of travel beyond that is irreversible, I'm afraid."

"So…I'm…I am stuck in this time." she whispered, letting tears drop from her eyes for the first time. Dumbledore looked at her, twinkle absent, and nodded.

"I am afraid, my dear, you will need to live out your life in this time. We can only go forward at the normal pace of time." he said in a comforting voice. He dug out an extremely frilly handkerchief and handed it to her. Lily mopped her eyes and pushed down her sadness.

"So what now?" she asked, feeling hopeless "I have no home, no money, no…no family."

"First and foremost, my dear, we must keep you out of Lord Voldemort's reach and out of his-" began the Headmaster

"Lord Voldemort. Oh no, oh Merlin no." and Lily let out another string of curse words and buried her head in her hands as the full weight of exactly when she was came into her mind. Lily heard a light chuckle, and her eyes were trained back on the blue of Albus Dumbledore.

"You seem to have a strong reaction to Lord Voldemort and seem to have forgotten he was around. I assume and hope that this means that we have had a great measure of success

Lily nodded numbly.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the Headmaster with a nod of his head.

"As for a home, Miss Potter, if you would consent to be under the tutelage of our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, you would find yourself a home and indeed very well protected from the clutches of Lord Voldemort. Your work here at Hogwarts will also serve your money dilemma quite nicely."

Lily nodded.

"And speaking of family, Miss Potter, I'm afraid that it may be confusing for all if you were to continue to use your given name."

Lily nodded. She began raking her mind for a different one. One option would, of course, be use her middle name: Luna. Lily could see very few drawbacks to this considering the woman for whom she was named had not been born at this point. Still, she didn't think she could get used to the new name. The nickname her family used, however would be much easier to get used to.

"I can be called Elle. My family called me Elle, well, because of my first and middle names starting with Ls. I am rather used to it." she said, voice cracking a bit at the thought.

"Ah, excellent, excellent, Elle. A beautiful name. Now, your obvious resemblance to Mrs. Potter will need to be explained. Disguising you effectively would be nearly impossible and would arouse suspicion and interest by Voldemort if you were to be found out. Yes, I believe you will be introduced as Lily's muggle-born cousin, Elle Evans. We will be able to trust very few on the secret of your identity." he said.

"Sir, where should I say I have been schooled?" she asked.

"Ah, yes! I have a great deal of personal and professional respect for Headmaster O'Dowd of Draiochta Academy, he is a loyal and brave soul. I believe he will provide all of the papers to confirm your enrollment to all those who decide to look."

"The Irish school. I can definitely do that. It'll be easy to explain my accent and everything." she said.

"Wonderful. Now Miss Potter-or perhaps I should say-Miss Evans, I will inform Lily and James of your arrival here. I know them to be particularly close to several wizards. Namely Mr. Sirius Black, Mr. Remus Lupin and Mr. Peter-"

"NO! Not Pettigrew!" she cut in. Dumbledore looked vaguely startled. His face then turned very grave.

"Peter Pettigrew is the traitor." he said calmly.

"Yes, Pettigrew is the traitior." she said. It was the first major change she had made to the timeline and it made her feel even more ill. "Not Pettigrew. They can tell Remus Lupin and Si-Sirius Black, but not Pettigrew."

"This is a devastating bit of news, Miss Potter. I am sure you are full of them. I will need to deliberate how to best proceed. But, of course, I shall inform Lily and James that Peter is not to be told. They have told me he hass not been around much of late." he said. He seemed extremely weary.

"Thank you, Professor."

"We can discuss more of the details tomorrow, including whether to inform the Weasley family."

Lily perked up at the mention of her maternal family and nodded.

"You look exhausted my dear, I'm sure time travel would take a great deal out of anyone. I will take you to your rooms. I'm sure you would much prefer them to the Hospital Wing." said Dumbledore, standing up and gestured to the door. Lily stood and followed him.

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**_A/N- For the rest of the story, Lily Luna Potter will be referred to as Elle, unless in some sort of flash back_**

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Elle had never been in the Professors' Wing of Hogwarts. Her suite was larger than she thought it would have been and much more luxurious. The front room was filled with worn, comfortable looking crimson furniture. She recognized the furniture, it was the furniture that had stood in her parent's home more than fifty years in future. Elle felt tears prickling her eyes and her stomach wrench violently. It even smelled like her parents' home: fresh wood and spices. She pushed down those thoughts immediately. She would deal with them soon enough. She continued to survey the room.

There was a large fireplace, thoroughly reminiscent of the one stationed in the Gryffindor common room. With a flick of her wrist, flames were jumping merrily from the grate.

Overcome with childish excitement, she ran to the nearest door and flung it open to reveal nothing more than a utility closet. With a sharp laugh and a shake of the head, she ran to open the next door, her bathroom. She squealed excitedly as she stepped on the white marble floors and observed the spacious bathtub and glass shower. There were plush white towels and a large, soft bathrobe in the cupboard. She exited the bathroom and moved into the room connected to it.

Her bedroom was decorated with the rich, dark reds and burnished golds of her school house. The was a spacious wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a vanity and large, extremely comfortable-looking bed. With another burst of childlike adrenaline, she vaulted onto the bed and buried her face into the plush of the duvet and pillows. And as she lay there, the reality abruptly crashed down on her. All that she had lost. An entire future gone. An entire life gone. And she wept until she passed out in exhaustion.

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**Reviews would be appreciated : )**


	3. Headmasters and Grandparents

**A/N- Thank you to those that have read and especially to those who have reviewed.**

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**Headmasters and Grandparents**

It seemed that between the early 1980s and the 2020s, very little had changed about the physical appearance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The castle had an eerie sort of timelessness that had Elle second-guessing whether she was truly in the past. Every so often, as Elle walked through the corridors, a portrait or suit of armour seemed a bit out of place, but beyond that there seemed to be very few actual differences between her Hogwarts and this new, well old, version of it. The most striking difference, perhaps, were that the ravages of the Battle of Hogwarts were absent. In her time, there were random pock and scorch marks scattered throughout the castle, damage from dark magic that could not be repaired. The memorial to the victims of the war, which stood just outside the Great Hall, where the final showdown between her father and Lord Voldemort had taken place, was missing. It was strange to Lily, at seeing the absence of these things, how much a part of the building the reminders of the Battle of Hogwarts had been.

Contemplating these things as she strolled through the halls, quite near dawn, she felt even more alone. She had barely seen anyone other than Albus Dumbledore, and certainly had not spoken to anyone besides him. As it was mid-August, the other teachers were away in their summer homes for the holiday, so the school was completely emptied of its human occupants, save for herself and the headmaster. Elle couldn't honestly say that she was eager for the students and professors to arrive back at the school. The relatively unchanged nature of the place was allowing her to keep in check all those emotions which were threatening to overwhelm her. The loss of her family and home, not to mention the war that she would now have to face and probably fight in. Even seeing and speaking to a man she had known as long-dead had not been truly turned over in her mind.

But Elle knew she would see more of these living ghosts. She would see more of the people who had died in the Wars. She would be meeting her grandparents: Lily and James Potter. How strange and wonderful that would be, but how horribly daunting.

Elle was now nearing her destination, the teachers' lounge. She had never been there before, but like all students, she knew exactly where it was. The house elves had arranged for her and Albus Dumbledore to eat in the teachers' lounge, for which Elle was extremely grateful; this meal with the headmaster was daunting enough without placing it in an enormous hall.

Elle knocked softly, feeling a little unsure.

"Enter, my dear," came the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

Elle turned the knob, and stepped into the enormous room. An enormous table that dominated the cavernous room. The headmaster was sitting at the far end of the table, apparently engrossed in the large book he was reading.

"Please sit my dear," he said, gesturing to the place on his right. Elle smiled and took her seat. And with a snap of his fingers, a large array of breakfast items appeared in front of them.

Breakfasting with Albus Dumbledore was a strange affair. Well, being around Albus Dumbledore in general was a strange affair, not least of all considering he was long dead in Elle's own time. Much of their breakfast was spent in comfortable silence.

"Would you mind passing the jam, my dear?" asked the headmaster.

"Which, Professor?" Elle asked, looking at the three types of jam nearest to her.

"Raspberry, please. It is my favourite." he said with a smile.

"Mine too, sir." said Elle, returning the smile a bit nervously. She handed over the raspberry and another comfortable silence descended on them. Elle picked up the Daily Prophet placed on the table beside her. The headline that greeted her read : Fifteen Muggles Murdered in Essex. Elle felt a strong swoop of disgust in the pit of her stomach. Muggle killings. This truly hammered home the point that she had been dropped in the middle of the First Wizarding War. Her miserable thoughts were interrupted as Dumbledore broke the silence between them.

"I sent an owl to Lily and James this morning." said the Headmaster, as he poured himself a cup of tea. His eyes were steady on her face. Lily felt once more that he was in the process of looking through her.

"I…so…that's great, professor. Have they owled back yet?" she said, nearly knocking over her own cup of tea in a panic.

"Not yet, my dear. The note was brief. It simply informed them that I am planning to drop by Godric's Hollow later this morning. I believe this situation is one that needs to be explained in person. It is a rather delicate situation, wouldn't you agree?" he replied, scooping a heaping spoonful of sugar into his tea cup.

"Yes, I definitely think it would require a bit of a personal touch." Elle said with a grim laugh.

"Indeed." chuckled the Headmaster. "I will leave at about half-past and go directly to the Ministry. There are certain things that need to be straightened out in concern to your arrival in this time. The fewer people who know of your strange arrival in the Department of Mysteries, the fewer opportunities there are for Lord Voldemort to learn of you existence and profit from it. I doubt that we can keep him in ignorance indefinitely, his reach is long and his spies at all levels of the Ministry, but the longer you remain beneath his notice the better."

Lily nodded, swallowing down her anxieties. She certainly didn't want a mad Lord Voldemort taking any sort of interest in her. Flying beneath his notice for as long as possible sounded absolutely wonderful to her.

"After my calling upon the Ministry, I will proceed to Godric's Hollow and explain our situation to Lily and James in full. I will request that they meet you here in my own office around four this afternoon. Would that be to your liking?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ah, my dear, please call me Albus."

"I think I'll have to ease myself into that, Headmaster." she said.

"Ah, yes, it may be a bit difficult for you, what with your brother Albus."

"Yes, and considering you are of monumental legend in my time and you don't tend to call legends by their first names."

"You flatter me, my dear." he chuckled.

"Not at all, Headmaster." She said with a laugh.

"Now, let us move on to happier things. All our talk has been far too serious for the breakfast table."

Elle smiled and their conversation turned to much more pleasant topics.

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When Dumbledore had owled them about an emergency meeting, Lily Evans Potter had expected it to be concerning new information on the prophecy which referred to her infant son, perhaps a new development on the war front, or maybe even a casual 'hello'. She certainly hadn't expected the headmaster to begin a story which ended with them having a twenty-year-old granddaughter who had appeared out of a swirling vortex in the middle of the Ministry's most guarded department. Before this morning, Lily had never really thought about the possibilities of time travel, and she had certainly never heard of anyone being transported more than a few hours back in time. But having her supposed granddaughter, her little Harry's daughter, being disastrously transported nearly fifty years into the past, had caused her to do a lot of rapid thinking on the subject..

Lily had honestly believed, as had James, that the entire thing had been some sort of elaborate prank played on them by Sirius. They had both thought that Sirius, in an attempt to cheer them up, had enlisted Dumbledore to add credibility to the joke. At first, she and James had laughed heartily, insisting that Dumbledore tell them how Sirius had convinced him to get in on the prank, and though Dumbledore had chuckled merrily at the thought, he had insisted and proven that it was no prank.

Then, before they had had ample time to recover, Dumbledore had laid out the plan to her and James. Their future granddaughter Lily Luna Potter would be under the protection of the headmaster, working at Hogwarts. That Lily Potter would be called Elle Evans and be introduced as Lily's cousin who had attended the Irish school of magic. According to Dumbledore, physical features of the young woman were similar enough to Lily's to warrant a need for a plausible familial relationship. There were very few who knew that Lily had no cousins, and Lily trusted those people to keep their mouths shut…But there was always the possibility… Severus. No matter how much she would like to believe that her old best friend would never purposefully betray her, Lily could not trust that.

Dumbledore had personally informed Lily that Severus-Snape-had been able to snag the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts. Snape would certainly know that Elle Evans was not truly her cousin and be extremely curious as to who she was. Lily had raised these concerns when Dumbledore told her the plan, but the Headmaster insisted that Snape was to be trusted and that he posed no threat of informing Lord Voldemort. In her heart, Lily had constantly thought of Severus and hoped and believed that he had returned to the side of the light.

Lily's mind began to wander, trying to imagine the world in which her granddaughter had been conceived. How old Harry must be. Definitely much older than she was right now…And then a terrible memory burst into Lily's mind and she remembered what Dumbledore had said. He had warned them not to tell Peter. He had told them that Peter Pettigrew, their friend, was the spy. The one who would turn them in given the chance. No matter how devastating this information was to them, Dumbledore said, they must act naturally around the traitorous rat until arrangements could be made to prove his treachery.

Lily had never particularly liked Peter, but she had known how important he was to James and the other two Marauders. After finding out that Peter had betrayed them in some unknown way, James had broken down. Lily had never seen him so distraught: not when his parents had died, not even when they were told about the prophecy. He couldn't seem to get out the words to express exactly how devastated he was by the betrayal. After several hours of staying with him, James had finally fallen asleep, holding Harry to him.

* * *

Elle was terrified. Completely and utterly terrified. At this moment, she could not find any of that legendary Gryffindor courage. She honestly doubted anyone had been in a stranger situation. Here she was, waiting in the Head Office of Hogwarts, waiting for the arrival of her twenty-year-old grandparents. Every minute or so she would pull herself out of the chair and pace the floor. Elle could never remember feeling this nervous, well perhaps her first quidditch game, but that was pretty much it.

"You need to relax the muscles in your face, girl, or you'll get the most dreadful wrinkles," came the voice of a stuffy old woman. Elle turned to stare at the portrait of an eighteenth century headmistress. She was garbed in black and looked wholly aristocratic and disapproving of Elle's existence.

Elle was about to reply to the 'advice' when the fire turned a bright emerald and out stepped two young adults. The two froze for a moment, mouths agape and stared openly at her. Elle was quite certain that in that moment, her face mirrored their own shock.

Lily and James Potter were standing no more than ten feet from her. The first Lily and James Potter were standing in front of her. These were her grandparents. Her father's mother and father. Two people her father had never had the opportunity to know. The people who had so lovingly sacrificed their lives for their son and changed the world forever.

Elle began to study their faces. Her only contact with their images had been the framed pictures throughout her home. She couldn't help but pull her eyes directly to her grandmother. Her face was nearly identical to the one Elle saw in the mirror everyday. Perhaps, Lily Evans-Potter's face was a bit rounder, her nose a bit pointier.

And James Potter…It was shocking to see her brother Albus' face and her father's face, though decades younger, with her own hazel eyes sparkling out at her. James Potter's dark hair stuck up in strange tuffs giving the same devil-may-care look that she was used to on her father and brothers. There was a sort of confident, perhaps arrogant, glimmer on the young man's face that had never been present in her father, nor in her brother Albus. It reminded her of her brother James Sirius, whose namesake now stood in front of her. But he looked like Albus. It was all very confusing. Elle felt incredibly muddled.

The silence and staring went on for several moment. Then suddenly, James Potter's face lit up. He was beaming at her, his eyes wrinkling at the corners in a way that reminded Lily even more strongly of her father. Still there was an undisguised disbelief and almost childlike excitement written over every inch of his face.

"This is-I uh-wow!-Unbelievable!" he said, taking a step closer to Elle. His eyes were still scanning her face with the same intensity that she had been studying his and his wife's.

Elle opened her mouth to reply. Nothing came out. She gathered her wits and opened her mouth.

"I'm the one who has been flung into the past only to meet my grandparents who happen to be my same age." she said, trying to return a smile. Lily had still said nothing. She was examining Elle with strangely watery emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's just hard to imagine-you know-our baby having a child." Lily whispered, not taking her eyes from Elle. "You do look a lot like me. Albus said you did."

"A lot? Practically identical!" said James.

Elle didn't know how to respond. James moved closer to his wife and slipped his hand into hers, giving her a smile. There was still a strange space between Elle and the Potters, neither party seemed able to take the three steps needed to be in intimate space. The silence stretched.

"Well, this is awkward…" said James, with a guffaw. Lily next to him began to giggle and Elle found herself smiling widely. Then, James dropped his wife's hand and strode forward. When he was about a foot from Elle and he opened his arms wide.

"Come on and give your granddad a hug."

"Oh, Lord, James! Really!" came Lily's laughing voice. Elle laughed, stepped forward and hugged her grandfather. It was exactly like hugging her brother Albus; same height, same body type, same age. Elle felt a swoop of sadness at the thought of her brother. James pulled back, holding onto her shoulders.

"So, are we allowed to know who our little Harry marries?" he asked, with a wink. Elle laughed

"James! Honestly?" Lily was moving closer to them, her eyes not leaving Elle. Elle could see that Lily wanted to know that question just as much as James.

"Well, I mean, I'm changing everything so I don't know if they will still end up together," she said, not able to imagine a world where here father and mother weren't desperately in love, "but my mother is Ginny Weasley-"

"A Weasley! A female Weasley?" James cut in with amazement. Lily smacked him on the arm.

"Yes" Elle said laughing at the incredulous expression plastered on James Potter's face.

"Arthur and Molly Weasley's daughter?" asked Lily.

"Yeah." replied Elle with a giggle.

"Now that is amazing! They already have five sons!"

"Six, actually, Uncle Ron is Dad's age. And Mum'll hopefully be along soon."

"Sweet Merlin, six boys. That woman must be a miracle-worker. I can barely handle Harry and James-"

"Excuse me, Lily, but-"

"Not to mention when Sirius and…" Lily trailed off glancing nervously at the now stony-faced James. Peter Pettigrew's name had been sensed and was hanging in the air like a poison, bringing them all back to the reality of betrayal. Another moment passed in silence.

"Would you like some tea?" Elle asked, pointing at the small table set for three to one side of the Headmaster's office. Lily nodded, took James' hand and lend him to the table where the three of them sat down.

Elle poured out the tea silently and when they all had there cups she spoke.

"Where is…Harry?" she asked, taking a small sip.

"Oh, Sirius is watching him for the afternoon. He was ecstatic about it as usual." replied Lily, glancing at her husband who still looked extremely despondent.

"Oh, that's nice. I can't wait to meet Sirius. You know my-"

"Will you tell me about Peter?" interrupted James. He was staring at his untouched teacup

"James, we don't need to hear about that right now." Lily said, grabbing her husband's hand.

"No, think we do, Lils." he said.

"Do you really want to know?" Elle asked, with a sad sigh. This was definitely not the first conversation she wanted to have with her grandparents, but she understood James' desperation to understand what Peter had done…or would do given the chance.

"Yes, I need to know." he said, finally raising his head to look at Elle. She paused for a moment, trying to organize the story in her mind and try to think of the best way to minimize the hurt this was going to cause.

"You made him your secret keeper." she started.

"But we've already decided to use Sirius." said Lily, looking confused. "We trust him above everyone else. He's Harry's godfather."

"In my…er…past… Sirius would have come to you with a plan. A plan to trick Voldemort by exchanging secret keepers. Wormtail instead of Sirius. The thought was that no one would suspect Peter."

"It makes sense-"

"It sounds like something Sirius would come up with….trying to prank Voldemort." James said shaking his head, looking simultaneously disgusted and amused, "So after we switched to…him…."

"He betrayed you to Voldemort almost instantly." Elle said, looking at her hands.

"So, he broke under the torture-" James said. Obviously begging for anything to excuse Peter from his betrayal. Elle shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. Wormtail had been working for Voldemort for a year before he betrayed you… So he is working for him now and he's betraying the Order after every meeting."

Silence reined as the couple tried to take it all in.

"I don't-I can't believe this. Why would he do this? What did I do to make him do this?" muttered James, turning green. He slumped his head into his head. Lily looked shocked, her face was rapidly turning a darker shade of red. She was angry.

"He's a coward. A worthless, pathetic coward." she said, standing up so quickly she nearly toppled the table. "Our baby. He could have killed our baby."

"I'm sorry." said Elle weakly. Lily took her seat, eyes full of tears, hands still shaking with rage. Silence reined for several minutes. James broke it first.

"Lily and I die. Dumbledore has already told us that we die. So how does Harry survive?" asked James.

"I'll try to explain. In the previous timeline, Voldemort shows up in Godric's Hallow. He enters your home. James, you tell Lily to take Harry and make a run for it." Elle was trying to get it all out as simply and quickly as possible, " He kills you and goes upstairs to the nursery. Voldemort tells Lily to stand aside-"

"Wait, what?" James cut in, looking incredulous, though still extremely pale.

"He tells Lily to stand aside a few times-" Elle continued, confused.

"Voldemort tells Lily, a muggle-born, to stand aside?" James asked, glancing at his wife.

"Um…yes," she replied weakly.

"Why would he do that?"

"Er…it's complicated…"

"Complicated?"

"James, let her finish," said Lily, squeezing his hand. James nodded.

"Lily refuses, and…Voldemort kills her. And then turns his wand on Dad -uh Harry-and casts the Killing curse, but-"

"The Killing curse?" yelled both James and Lily.

"Yes and then-"

"Nothing can block-" started Lily.

"The Killing curse…yeah, we now know that that isn't true. My dad... Harry proved it by surviving that night as a baby."

"What saved him?" Lily asked, looking stressed, "I assumed that Sirius or Dumbledore or someone showed up and grabbed him before Voldemort got to him."

"No, the curse hit him, but he didn't die. Your decision to not step aside to save yourself, Lily, protected my dad and the curse only left a scar on him and rebounded, hitting Voldemort."

"Harry killed Voldemort?" asked Lily, looking shock.

"Most people thought that he did, or at least that rebounding curse had. But Dumbledore and some others believed that Voldemort wasn't truly dead," said Elle, "Anyway, Dad was called the Boy Who Lived throughout the wizarding world."

"The Boy Who Lived." repeated James. Elle nodded.

"Did they catch Peter?" Lily asked. Elle shook her head. Here she would have to explain more unpleasant things. The news that Peter had gotten away and Sirius had been taken to Azkaban for his crimes would surely hurt them deeply. Not to mention the fact that their son had had to grow up with the Dursley's for his 'own protection.'

"After the curse rebounded, Sirius showed up and saw you both dead and found Dad. Hagrid showed up shortly after on Dumbledore's orders and took Dad from him. Sirius hunted Peter down and confronted him. Pettigrew yelled to the entire street that Sirius had betrayed you and then blew up the entire street, killing about a dozen muggles, transformed and ran away."

"Peter killed…" started James, looking paler than ever.

"He was framing Sirius?" Lily whispered, looking distinctly nervous. "Please tell me that he didn't succeed."

"The aurors came shortly after that. Sirius was laughing his head off in the middle of the street-"

"Of course he was. Why wouldn't he be?" said James, wiping a tear from his eye before it rolled down his face.

"No one else had been told that you had chosen Peter instead. Not even Dumbledore. So Sirius was sent to Azkaban for life, without a trial."

"They didn't give him a trial?" asked Lily horrified.

"Everyone thought his guilt was clear cut."

"So, Remus took Harry." said James.

"James, we've been over this, Remus can't take Harry, the Ministry would never allow it." said Lily.

"Dumbledore wanted Dad to be as safe as possible and since the protection that saved him from Voldemort was from you, he thought that if he was placed with a relative then -"

"He didn't. Oh God, tell me Dumbledore didn't put him with Petunia."

"What? There's no way that Dumbledore would do that. He knows how terrible-"

"Dumbledore put Dad with the Dursleys." Elle replied with an apologetic tone. Lily and James both groaned. "He thought that the best way of protecting him was through the blood magic from Grandma Lily's sacrifice." Elle reminded them. The couple glanced at each other. "So, yeah Dad grew-"

There was a soft knock on the door and Albus Dumbledore entered and walked toward the small table where they were seated. He had a bit of an apologetic look on his face as he greeted them.

"Lily, James I hope you have enjoyed meeting your lovely granddaughter," Lily and James nodded, "We need to discuss, first and foremost, the delicate situation concerning Mr. Pettigrew. I apologize, James and Lily, for placing this on you so soon, but it must be dealt with as swiftly and carefully as possible."

James and Lily nodded.

The four proceeded to develop a plan, which would oust Pettigrew as the traitor while maintaining the secrecy of Elle's actual identity. It would be carried out so that Peter would betray himself in an indisputable way.


	4. Meeting Severus Snape

**A/N-** Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. You are the greatest. Enjoy.

* * *

**Meeting Severus Snape**

Elle stood pacing her room. Tonight was the night she had been dreading with an uneasy excitement. Tonight was the night that she would be introduced to even more people of this time. She would be the assistant to the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Kindle. She was nervous about meeting him, she was nervous about facing the students…basically she was rather nervous about the entire situation. Above all, however, she was nervous about giving her self away with some sort of unknown slip. Dumbledore had been continuously reassuring her, reminding her that she was safe within Hogwarts' walls, however, this did not help relieve her anxiety over what would happen if Voldemort were to learn what she knew about the future.

Lily tried to keep her mind off these anxieties as much as possible. She knew that she would have to face them rather soon, however she was trying to focus on regaining a sense of equilibrium in this new world. With not a soul within the castle besides Dumbledore and herself, Elle allowed herself to wander through the grounds and halls, taking in Hogwarts as she never had as a student. The ancient castle spoke to her in new ways, and while she did not have the Marauder's Map, she still felt highly connected to the layout of the building.

Her thoughts were broken by a soft knock upon her door. Elle rushed to open it. Before her stood the Headmaster, with a smile, he offered her his arm and they began to make their way toward the Great Hall. Elle had a very difficult time keeping up with their conversation, considering the enormous butterflies that seemed to be swooping through her stomach.

"Are you ready my dear?" asked the Headmaster as they stood in front of the doors to the Great Hall.

"You don't suppose I could just hide in my room for the year?" she asked, shifting her footing.

"Alas, my dear, I do believe you must face the lions."

"Well, if you put it that way then I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be." she said. Dumbledore gave a hearty laugh as they stepped into the brightly lit Great Hall.

* * *

Severus Snape had arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approximately twenty minutes ago. It was the first time he had stepped foot within the castle walls since he had left it at three years previously at the age eighteen. He was anticipating the moment the students would enter into the Great Hall. Some of his future students had been first, second, third and fourth years during his last year at Hogwarts. Snap could imagine how those students would whisper to one another, glancing fearfully up at him. He was certain that many of them would still remember him, whether from his rivalry with Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew or because of his association with the Dark Arts.

So, it was with a deep breath to steady himself, that Severus stepped into the Great Hall. The Head table only had a few places that were empty, including the place where the Headmaster usually sat. Severus could feel the eyes of his old professors burning into him as he made his walk to the table. Keeping his head up, Severus took his place beside Minerva McGonagall.

"Ah, Mr. Snape, or I suppose it's Professor Snape, welcome." said the dark-haired witch, extending her hand to Severus. He took it, murmuring "Professor McGonagall."

After shaking several of the other present professors' hands, Severus returned his mind back to his own doubts about taking this position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had taken the position for one reason alone: Dumbledore had told him that he must. Dumbledore, who had promised to keep Lily Evans-or Potter-safe in return for his efforts as a spy against the Dark Lord. And the Dark Lord believed Severus to be working on his orders, for the benefit of the Death Eaters.

Severus was situated over the brink and he highly doubted that he would come out of this war alive. It would all be worth it, he reminded himself, if Lily came out of it alive.

The doors of the Great Hall opened, and for a moment, Severus expected to see a flood of students begin to enter the hall. It was not the students, but Albus Dumbledore and, on his arm, Lily Potter. Severus felt all the blood drain from his face, his extremities went instantly cold and bile began to rise in his mouth as they neared his place at the Head table.

In one fell swoop, Severus realized something was wrong. The woman walking toward him was not Lily. From her very movement, Snape could tell she was not Lily. The woman's movements were not as refined or fluid as those of Lily Evans-Potter, they were clumsier, bouncier in some way. The woman's hair , though a rather violent shade of dark red, was marginally lighter than his childhood friend's. It was wilder too, sticking up in strange places, as though she had been hit was a large gust of wind.

The woman stepped behind the table, still chatting with the Headmaster. Severus could hear her voice now, though he could no longer see her. Her voice was a bit deeper than Lily's, her phrasing rather off. She seemed to be greeting the other teachers, but Severus could not force himself to turn around.

A few moments later, the woman slid into the seat beside him, but still he stared straight ahead, mentally begging for the doors to bring in the distraction of the student body. He was also concentrating very intently on keeping his face serene and neutral. The young woman seemed to be settling herself in her seat, but then she got very still, and suddenly, she then turned her head, very deliberately, to face him. Severus steadied himself and turned to his left to face her. He could not help but gape at the face he was met with: if the eyes and her hair were not slightly off, she would be almost a complete copy of Lily Evans-Potter. The young woman had, perhaps had a thinner face and her nose sloped a bit more than Lily's, but she had the same high cheekbones, same forehead and jaw.

The shape of her eyes was the same as well, large and almond-shaped with thick lashes, but in the place of the vibrant emerald that was so familiar, there sat eyes with numerous strands of burnished gold which wound their way out through a dark, mossy green. She had bright hazel eyes. Severus felt a strange jolt in his midsection, these were eyes that he recognized, though he was not sure where. Were these the colour of Lily's father, Henry Evans? No, no, Severus thought, his eyes were a light blue, like his daughter Petunia.

Mentally shaking himself, and remaining utterly composed, Severus set his hand forward toward the young woman.

"Snape, Severus Snape. I am the Potion's professor." he said, not nearly as smoothly as he had wanted. Her features had certainly unnerved him., to his core

With a wide smile gracing her face, she placed her hand into his and shook it enthusiastically. Severus could not help but feel an extreme wave of confusion; no one had ever been that pleased to meet him.

"I'm Elle. I'll be assisting Professor Kindle in Defence." she said, rather enthusiastically. Severus felt a swoop of dislike. He was about to ask, in a sneering voice, whether she had a last name to go with it, but the doors of the Hall finally opened and the students began pouring in, many of them surveying the new faces at the front of the room. As expected, many of the students were pointing at him and whispering amongst themselves.

The students settled into their seats and so began the Sorting of the first years. Throughout the Sorting, Severus couldn't help but glance at the woman beside him. She seemed utterly enraptured by the scene in front of her. Several times, Severus noticed, she would jump at one of the names called. Severus found this rather odd. Finally, Timothy York found his way over to Ravenclaw and the Headmaster stood and began his start of the year speech.

"We have three new members of staff joining us this year, Professor Severus Snape will be our new Potions' Master."

Severus stood, took his smattering of applause and whispers and sat.

"Professor George Kindle, who will be our instructor in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

More applause.

"And Miss Elle Evans," Severus' heart raced. So she was related to Lily. But how? "Who will be assisting Professor Kindle in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Miss Evans is to be accorded all the respect given to a Hogwarts' teacher. Miss Evans has the ability to issue detentions and take house points away, just as any of our Hogarts teachers. I am sure you will all be very welcoming to Miss Evans."

Severus watched the young woman stand up to the cheering applause and several wolf whistles from some of the older members of the male sex. The ruckus was quickly stifled when McGonagall gave a sharp glare around the room. The woman's face and ears were a bright red by the time Dumbledore continued and she was allowed to sit back down.

Dumbledore spoke for a few moments on the usual student expectations and the announced the start of the feast with a wave of his wand.

* * *

Elle could not believe that she was sitting beside Severus Snape. The Severus Snape for whom her brother was named. The man who spent more than half his life atoning for his sin, the sin that he had only made perhaps a few months ago. The dreadful mistake which had sent his life on a course of destruction that led him to the Shrieking Shack nearly seventeen years into the future.

Elle could barely control the glances she kept giving the young man beside her. It was simply incredible to be in the presence of Severus Snape. She wondered whether this was how others felt when they were faced with her war hero-filled family. She knew that it was foolish to be so awed by the man: he had not yet done most of the things to which she attributed him.

Elle knew that Severus Snape was a tortured soul. She had grown up hearing so many stories about him; stories so incongruous that they seemed impossible to be of the same man. She wondered as she watched him out of the corner of her eye, whether he was already actively working against Voldemort. Had he already begun his dangerous balancing act as a double agent?

No one in this time knew who Severus Snape was, who he could be. No one knew what he would have done had Elle not come back and messed with the timeline. But Elle was going to make every effort to befriend him. It was obvious from their greeting alone that this task would be nearly impossible, but Elle was determined to make it happen. She needed a friend at Hogwarts, after all, and Severus Snape was the same age as her, it would be...natural for them to be friends.

Even as she thought these things, she doubted that she would ever be able to break through Severus Snape's stony exterior.

Elle turned and looked at the young professor full on. He glanced at her. She smiled at him. He frowned at her and returned to his meal. It was certainly not going to be easy at all.

* * *

Severus sat across the desk from the Headmaster. The older man had said nothing since Severus had first walked into the office. Severus had no doubt that is was the Defence Against the Dark Arts assistant who was the reason for his late night visit to the Head Office. The Headmaster had asked Severus to meet him in the office immediately after he introduced the newest additions to Slytherin to their new common room.

"Severus, I am aware that you were once close with Lily Potter." said Dumbledore, steepling his hands on the desk. "I also know you still care a great deal about her safety."

"Yes, you know that better than anyone." Severus said bitterly. He sat up a bit straighter in his chair, waiting to hear what Dumbledore would tell him about the strange new addition to the Hogwarts staff.

Dumbledore paused. Severus could see that the man was arranging his thoughts, clearly refining his words. This only made Severus more suspicious of the whole situation. Clearly the Headmaster was choosing his words with caution. He was not trusting Severus.

"I have called you here, as you may guess, to speak on Miss Elle Evans. I must tell you, first Severus, that if Lord Voldemort were to take any sort of interest in Miss Evans, the results could be devastating for our cause." Dumbledore said, leaning forward. Severus widened his eyes at this information. "The protection of the Potters and, indeed, our very way of life hangs in the balance. Hangs in the protection of Miss Evans."

"Sir-" began Severus, startled.

"Albus, Severus, we are colleagues now," Dumbledore reminded him gently.

"Albus, then," Severus said with a hint of impatience. "Who is she?"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes sparkling irritatingly at Severus. He could guess that the Headmaster would be evading this simple question, simply by the amused smile on his face.

"Ah well, Severus, if I may ask who do you think she is?"

Severus felt deep irritation, which he forced down, but he paused, thinking of the young woman whom he had just met. He had noticed upon her departure that she was also a bit smaller than Lily by a few inches. Severus counted himself unusually perceptive, especially in concerns to reading and recognizing other people. Severus felt rather uncomfortable about the woman. He felt that there was an odd sense of familiarity about her, extending beyond her resemblance to his childhood friend. This resemblance extended to her gestures, her facial expressions, her eyes, he manner of walking... Severus recognized them, but, for some reason, he could not place them. Were they the mannerisms of Petunia Evans? No, Severus was certain that they were not.

"I am not sure who she is, Headmaster." Severus began slowly. "But she is not Lily's cousin. Lily had no cousins; her mother and father were both only children."

His irritation at the serene face of Albus Dumbldore was rising. Severus could tell what was coming next.

"Indeed," said the headmaster buoyantly. "Well, I am quite open to hearing your theories concerning Miss Evans, Severus, but I really must get back to feeding Fawkes."

The Headmaster indicated the enormous phoenix perched about ten feet away.

"So, you are not going to tell me who she is then." Severus stated, rather angrily.

"No, I will be very much interested to see if you can figure it out yourself. You have a brilliant mind for solving puzzles and cracking codes, and I am certain that the mystery of Miss Evans will be no different. But I must warn you, Severus, once more, that Miss Evans must be protected from Voldemort. At all cost, Elle Evans must e protected. Though this be the case, Severus, I do not advise you to lie about her existence. This course would be very much ill-advised, it would raise Voldemort's interest in Miss Evans and his suspicion of you. For these reasons, I do insist that you keep care when discussing her with Voldemort."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Excellent. I suppose you should head off to bed. Your first day as a teacher begins tomorrow and I'm sure a bit of shut-eye would help you greatly. Goodnight Severus."

Severus nodded and stalked from the office, his mind still on the mysterious young woman who looked like so very like Lily Potter.


End file.
